Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Home Energy and Lifestyle Management: Complaints

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Green Deal loan complaints the Green Deal Finance Company has received in respect of Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Ltd in each year since 2013, by (i) constituency and (ii) local authority area.

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Official Report, 23 October 2018, column 53WH, whether the Green Deal Finance Company has written to the 4,581 consumers who were sold a Green Deal by Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Ltd (HELMS) on the sales practices of that company.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Department does not hold information on the number of complaints the Green Deal Finance Company has received in respect of Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Ltd (HELMS). The Department also does not hold information on whether the Green Deal Finance Company has written to the 4,581 HELMS consumers on the practices of that company.The Green Deal Finance Company are a private company, and as such do not routinely share data around complaints, or their approach to providing redress to consumers with the Department.

Home Energy and Lifestyle Management: Complaints

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the (a) criteria and (b) calculations were for offers of a (i) reduction and (ii) cancellation made by (A) the Green Deal Finance Company and (B) his Department to customers who have made a complaint on green deal mis-selling by Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Ltd (HELMS).

Kwasi Kwarteng: Each complaint is considered individually by the Secretary of State in line with the Green Deal Framework Regulations. The Secretary of State has the power to reduce or cancel loans where there has been a breach of the relevant rules, and he is satisfied that the consumer has suffered, or is likely to suffer, a substantive loss. One of the requirements in the Regulations is to impose a sanction that is proportionate to the breach it is imposed upon. Further information on the legislative requirements is available in the Sanctions guidance, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-green-deal-sanctions-and-appeals Details of any proposed sanction, including reasons for intended decision and associated calculations, are made available in intention notices issued to affected parties. Any proposed sanction by the Secretary of State, intends to bring the consumer closest to the position they would have been in had the identified breaches not occurred. The sanction will vary depending on the nature of individual cases. The Green Deal Finance Company are a private company, and as such do not routinely share data around complaints, or their approach to providing redress to consumers with the Department.

Housing: Energy

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of financial support for the installation of energy efficiency measures in homes of people with ill health.

Kwasi Kwarteng: BEIS, the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England are working in collaboration to tackle cold homes. The Fuel Poverty Strategy for England includes a vulnerability principle and Government has consulted on updating this principle so that it focuses specifically on households that are most at risk to the impact of living in a cold home. This intends to ensure that energy efficiency schemes can support those in the greatest need. The Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the main domestic energy efficiency scheme in Great Britain, is worth £640m per year and is focused on low income and vulnerable households, including those in receipt of Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Carers Allowance. Additionally, under ECO measures can be installed in the homes of people referred by their local authority, with ill health being an eligibility criterion many use.

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the level of need of solo self-employed people without access to human resources support during the covid-19 outbreak; what steps he is taking to support people in that position; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully: Government is clear that we must support people in work to do the right thing during a Covid-19 outbreak. The Government has already made it easier for those who are sick or self-isolating to access support through Universal Credit and contributory Employment and Support Allowance. We want to make sure our welfare system works quickly and effectively to provide security for people. We are also supporting the self-employed through the tax system, with the next self-assessment payments deferred until the end of the year. The Government recognises that those who are self-employed might not have HR support, but they can get advice on individual employment issues by calling Acas. They can also ring the BEIS Business Support Line for further advice on support for business. HMRC have also set up a dedicated helpline for self-employed individuals in financial distress and with outstanding tax liabilities to receive support with their tax affairs through HMRC’s Time To Pay service.

Housing: Energy

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support over 60s who live in fuel-poor households and (b) improve the energy efficiency of existing homes.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Improving energy efficiency is the best long-term solution to tackle fuel poverty.More than one quarter of fuel poor households in England include a resident over 60. Government is taking steps to ensure low income, vulnerable households, including older people, are protected from living in a cold home.The Energy Company Obligation Scheme provides support for low income and vulnerable households. Since ECO launched it has delivered energy efficiency measures to more than 2 million households. ECO, or a successor scheme, will continue to drive at least £640 million investment per year in home energy efficiency until 2028.The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards now require landlords spend up to £3500 improving their properties to energy efficiency Band E before renting them out. We intend to consult later this year on a long-term trajectory for improving Private Rented Sector homes to Band C.In addition to receiving energy efficiency support, pensioners receive financial support to ensure they can keep their homes warm. Winter Fuel Payments provide pensioners with between £100 and £300 to keep their homes warm during the winter. Those on Pension Credit also receive a £140 Warm Home Discount rebate.Our 2020 Fuel Poverty Strategy will detail our future plans to tackle fuel poverty.

Labour Turnover: Coronavirus

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention of key workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nadhim Zahawi: Holding answer received on 24 March 2020



The Government defines key workers as those whose work are critical to the Coronavirus response. This includes those who work in the health and social care sectors, as well as in education and childcare, transport, food and delivery, utilities, communications, public safety, and the Government.To assist retention, schools will provide essential support to the most vulnerable children and the children of those identified as key workers.In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care is enhancing the capacity and flexible deployment of staff across essential services, for example:By allowing the temporary registration of recently retired NHS staff and social workers.By allowing retired staff to return to the NHS without a negative impact on their pension.By providing additional indemnity cover to key workers.By protecting the employment rights of NHS volunteers.

Prices: Coronavirus

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to penalise (a) businesses and (b) individuals engaged in (i) price gouging and (ii) profiteering during the covid-19 pandemic.

Paul Scully: Holding answer received on 24 March 2020



The Government is clear that excessive price increases exploiting the covid-19 outbreak are unacceptable. We are speaking with retailers daily and the Competition and Markets Authority has established a taskforce to tackle the issue. It has approached traders already to stop excessive price increases. Consumers and businesses should report any issues directly to the taskforce online. The Government is monitoring this situation closely and will take further action if it is necessary.

Insovency: Coronavirus

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will suspend wrongful trading laws during the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully: Holding answer received on 25 March 2020



The Government recognises the difficulties faced by directors in making decisions about the future viability of their companies in these times of extreme uncertainty, and that the wrongful trading provisions impact on those decisions. The Government is urgently considering a range of measures which aim to help businesses wherever possible where the Covid-19 outbreak is the cause of their financial difficulties.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Seabed: Mining

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the precautionary principle is applied to deep sea mining techniques that cannot be monitored from the surface.

James Duddridge: The UK is using the precautionary principle in relation to deep sea mining and has agreed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems and strong and enforceable environmental standards have been developed by the ISA and are in place.The UK is calling for the precautionary principle to be included in the development of the Regulations, Standards and Guidelines for deep sea mining at the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

International Seabed Authority

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the (a) governance, (b) accountability and (c) competency for (i) contract reviews, (ii) inspections, (iii) audits, (iv) environmental monitoring, (v) enforcement and (vi) other regulatory activities of the International Seabed Authority.

James Duddridge: The functions and structure of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) are laid out in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The work of the ISA is overseen by the Council and Assembly of the ISA. The UK is a member of both organs. UNCLOS provides for a periodic review of the ISA, the most recent of which was completed in 2017. In the Council and Assembly the UK supports the importance of the ISA having adequate resources and expertise to carry out these functions, in particular in anticipation of a future move from exploration to exploitation.

Peru: Coronavirus

Kate Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Peruvian counterpart on supporting UK nationals in Cusco to reach Lima.

Wendy Morton: The Foreign Secretary spoke with the Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, on 21 March. He assured us that he would work together with the UK to make sure we could arrange flights home this week, including providing the necessary assistance to those UK nationals in Cusco. Our Embassy is working closely with the Peruvian authorities to ensure that restrictions on movement in Peru do not prevent passengers from getting onto flights that they have booked.

Jordan: Coronavirus

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Jordanian counterpart on arranging repatriation flights for British nationals that wish to return to the UK as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

James Cleverly: Holding answer received on 25 March 2020



We are working closely with local authorities, commercial airlines and other diplomatic missions to enable British people to get home. Our consular team is working around the clock to provide support, advice and information. British travellers should contact their tour operator or airline as soon as possible if they want to return to the UK. We are working intensively with the Governments of those countries, including Jordan, that have closed their borders to people travelling to and from the UK, to enable airlines to bring back British people to the UK, if that is what they want.In light of the rapidly changing situation, we urge all travellers to sign up for our travel advice alert service. British nationals in Jordan should keep up to date with our travel advice for Jordan, which they can find on: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/jordan/coronavirus.We have also published advice for British nationals who do not have immediate departure options available to them: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus#if-youre-abroad-and-you-want-to-return-to-the-uk

Department of Health and Social Care

Ultrasonics

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care what progress NHS England has made on undertaking a public consultation on the development of a national commissioning policy for MR-guided focused ultrasound; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on providing patients with access to MR Guided Focused Ultrasound on the NHS in England; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group of NHS England has made on assessing the availability of MR Guided Focused Ultrasound for NHS patients; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: NHS England is in the process of developing a national clinical commissioning policy for MR-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor. The policy will determine whether the intervention will or will not be routinely commissioned and contain criteria to guide clinical decision making about the patients able to benefit.A draft policy was returned to the Specialised Commissioning Clinical Panel in November 2019 and is now progressing to stakeholder engagement and public consultation. After public consultation is completed, the policy proposal will be considered by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group. If a decision is taken to commission the intervention, funding will be required to implement the policy. This will be considered alongside other proposals for new treatments for funding through a relative prioritisation process which takes place twice a year, and is next due to take place in May 2020.

Coronavirus: Pregnancy

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the effect of the coronavirus on unborn babies.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England, NHS England and NHS Improvement contributed to the development of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidance on COVID-19 infection and pregnancy.The review found that there is no evidence to suggest an increased risk of miscarriage. There is also no evidence that the virus can pass to the developing baby during pregnancy. It is therefore considered unlikely that if the mother has the COVID-19 virus it will cause abnormalities in the baby.The guidance is available to view at the following link:https://www.rcog.org.uk/coronavirus-pregnancy

NHS: Protective Clothing

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the viability of reallocating funding to the production and distribution of additional personal protective equipment to treat patients suffering severe covid-19 symptoms in advance of the infection rate peak; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the viability of reallocating funding to the production and distribution of additional medical devices to treat patients suffering severe covid-19 symptoms in advance of the infection rate peak; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Chancellor created a £5 billion contingency fund to ensure National Health Service and public services have the resources they need, including personal protective equipment and has been clear that the NHS will get whatever funding it needs to respond to the COVID-19. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is looking for organisations who can support in the supply of ventilators and ventilator components across the United Kingdom as part of the Government’s response to COVID-19.

Coronavirus: Health Services

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to requisition privately-owned healthcare facilities in the event that more facilities are required for patients diagnosed with covid-19.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what powers he has to requisition privately-owned healthcare facilities in the event that more facilities are required for patients diagnosed with covid-19.

Jo Churchill: The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked with the independent sector to increase capacity and resource within the National Health Service, adding around 8000 beds and 20,000 clinical staff. This will ensure that more facilities are available for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Coronavirus: China

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 3.9, bullet point 3 of Coronavirus: action plan, published on 3 March 2020, if he will authorise research into the security control of viruses under investigation at the Wuhan State Institute of Virology.

Jo Churchill: We have no plans to authorise research into the security control of viruses under investigation at the Wuhan State Institute of Virology.We are concentrating on the stages that we have set out in paragraph 3.9 of the COVID-19 action plan. These stages are: contain, delay, research and mitigate.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, if he will publish the behavioural science modelling advice that predicts fatigue in public obeyance of guidance on action to restrict the spread of the virus.

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the statement by the Chief Medical Officer on 9 March 2020 that, The risk is that if we go too early people will understandably get fatigued and we won't be able to sustain it over time, if he will publish the behavioural modelling underpinning the Government's approach to tackling the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has published the scientific evidence supporting the Government response to COVID-19, including behavioural modelling, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-covid-19-scientific-evidence-supporting-the-uk-government-response

Coronavirus

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the (a) first 200, (b) second 200, (c) third 200 and (d) fourth 200 covid-19 cases in the UK by sample-date were (i) under five years, (ii) five -14 years, (iii) 15-29 years, (iv) 30-39 years, (v) 40-49 years, (vi) 50-59 years, (vii) 60-69 years, (viii) 70-79 years, (ix) 80-89 years and (x) 90 years or over.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



Data on the COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom are not available in the format requested. Public Health England has published a COVID-19 tracking dashboard showing reported cases of coronavirus in the UK, including new cases, cases by upper tier local authority in England.The dashboard can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-track-coronavirus-cases

Coronavirus: Research

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned research on the covid-19 pandemic which uses behavioural psychology modelling; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



The Government intends to publish the evidence being used by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. The COVID-19 Public Information Campaign has been developed with a blended team of specialist marketing and behavioural science experts together with advice from academic experts in Psychological Medicine. The Protection Motivation Theory has shaped thinking and the campaign has been robustly developed and tested with input and advice from the Behaviour Insights Team.

Coronavirus: Ambulance Services and Paramedical Staff

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has in place to ensure paramedics and ambulance workers are adequately supported and protected in the event of a large scale outbreak of covid-19.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



All guidance is published on GOV.uk and standard operating procedures are published on NHS England and NHS Improvement’s website. Guidance is also available to healthcare professionals on NHS England and NHS Improvement’s website, with specific guidance for those in ambulance services. This includes information on personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as infection prevention and control guidance. More information can be found at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/872745/Infection_prevention_and_control_guidance_for_pandemic_coronavirus.pdf The United Kingdom maintains stockpiles of protective equipment for healthcare staff who may come into contact with patients with the virus.These stocks are being monitored daily, with additional stocks being ordered where necessary.

Coronavirus: Hospital Beds

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to secure additional critical care beds to meet the demand created by the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



It is the Government’s priority that the National Health Service has appropriate equipment to respond to COVID-19. This includes the provision of intensive care beds. The Department is working closely with NHS England and the devolved administrations to ensure this.NHS England is looking at National Health Service organisations critical care capacity - including the use of independent sector providers where available. This includes making sure they have as much ventilation equipment as possible, as well as the trained and skilled personnel to use it.Information on critical care bed capacity is published by NHS England and can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/critical-care-capacity/

Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: Coronavirus

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on tackling covid-19.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



NHS England is in regular contact with all hospitals and has published regular updates to its guidance and advice.NHS England published a letter, on 17 March, detailing the next steps, in response to the COVID-19, which builds on multiple actions already in train. The letter can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/next-steps-on-nhs-response-to-covid-19-letter-from-simon-stevens-and-amanda-pritchard/

Coronavirus: Ambulance Services

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure the provision of emergency ambulance services to people who are self isolating.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



The National Health Service has expert teams in every ambulance service and a number of specialist hospital units with highly trained staff and equipment ready to receive and care for patients with any highly infectious disease. The NHS practises and prepares its response to disease outbreaks and follow tried and tested procedures, following the highest safety standards possible for the protection of NHS staff, patients and the public.

Medical Equipment

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase production and supply of medical ventilators; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



Ventilator machines are usually linked to patients in Intensive Care Units/Critical Care/High Dependency Units, although some patients may have them at home or use Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machines to assist with their breathing.We are scaling up intensive care beds. NHS England is looking at National Health Service organisations critical care capacity - including the availability of additional facilities of independent sector providers.It is also making sure that they have as much ventilation equipment as possible and, crucially, the skilled and trained people to use it.

Coronavirus: Death

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many fatalities the Government has estimated from its herd immunisation modelling of covid-19.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



Herd immunity is not part of our action plan but is a natural by-product of an epidemic. Our aims are to save lives, protect the most vulnerable, and relieve pressure on the National Health Service. We have now moved out of the contain phase and into delay, and we have experts working round the clock. Every measure that we have or will introduce will be based on the best scientific evidence. Our awareness of the likely levels of immunity in the country over the coming months will ensure our planning and response is as accurate and effective as possible.

Health Professions: Coronavirus

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether immediate access to covid-19 testing will be made available to (a) vital staff and (b) primary care staff to avoid unnecessary self-isolation.

Jo Churchill: Our first priority is to make sure that we use those tests on the people who need them most.Public Health England has rolled its own test out to a number of National Health Service collaborators to increase daily testing capacity and it is evaluating commercial tests to allow the NHS to consider faster tests. On 17 March the Prime Minister announced that capacity would increase to 25,000 a day in two weeksTesting of healthcare workers is happening already and will continue to expand as capacity increases.

Public Health: Sign Language

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide accessible information on covid-19 to sign language users within the deaf community.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



Information published on GOV.UK is available in accessible formats including British Sign Language. Media announcements are being broadcast with British Sign Language interpreters.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what steps he is taking to ensure NHS staff have adequate supplies of protective equipment.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



It is the Government’s priority that the National Health Service has appropriate equipment to respond to COVID-19, and the Department are working closely with NHS England and the devolved administrations to ensure this.The United Kingdom maintains stockpiles of protective equipment for healthcare staff who may come into contact with patients with the virus.These stocks are being monitored daily, with additional stocks being ordered where necessary.

Coronavirus: Infant Foods

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure the maintenance of the supply of infant formula during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



The Department is aware of some recent local food stockpiling issues and is in discussion with industry to ensure a continued supply of infant formula. Additionally, the British Specialist Nutrition Association Ltd who represent manufacturers of formula, have put out a note of reassurance to parents on both their website and via Twitter to allay concerns and to ask people to be considerate in the way they shop to ensure an adequate supply of formula remains available to all. This dialogue with the formula industry will remain active and we will continue to monitor the situation.

Medical Equipment: Procurement

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many ventilators the NHS (a) has and (b) plans on purchasing.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



Ventilator machines are usually linked to patients in Intensive Care Units/Critical Care/High Dependency Units, although some patients may have them at home or use Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machines to assist with their breathing.We are scaling up intensive care beds. NHS England is looking at National Health Service organisations critical care capacity - including the availability of additional facilities of independent sector providers.It is also making sure that they have as much ventilation equipment as possible and, crucially, the skilled and trained people to use it.Information on critical care bed capacity is published by NHS England and can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/critical-care-capacity/Availability of an NHS critical care bed indicates the associated number of NHS staff with the appropriate skills and training are available to deliver the required treatment.

Coronavirus

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which strain of covid-19 is most prevalent in the UK at the present time.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



There is currently no concept of different strains. There are very few differences and a low genetic diversity in the COVID19 from across the world and the viruses recovered from the United Kingdom are typical of this.

Coronavirus: Hire Services

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether private rental companies who provide vehicles for the NHS and other essential public services will be able to continue to operate under the Government's covid-19 response scenarios; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



The Government is committed to doing all it can to ensure that National Health Service workers are able to travel to work with minimal disruption. We also recognise the important role public services and private companies play in delivering key services.At present the Government has no plans to put in place restrictions on public or private transport as part of our response to COVID-19. However, we continue to keep all aspects of our response to the virus under review, guided by the best advice from our world-renowned team of clinicians, public health experts and scientists.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department plans to provide to healthcare providers on the proper use and preparation of personal protective equipment during the covid-19 pandemic.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



Public Health England have produced written guidance and demonstration videos for all health and social care staff on the proper use and preparation of personal protective equipment. The written guidance and videos are available on GOV.UK at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control#PPE

Intensive Care: Coronavirus

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government will take to ensure babies and children of parents requiring intensive care treatment as a result of covid-19 are looked after.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 19 March 2020



In many cases, other family members or friends of the parent(s) will provide temporary care. If there is no-one to look after the child, the local authority may need to take the child into temporary care.

Medical Equipment: Procurement

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many additional ventilators his Department has been able to purchase to date.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



The National Health Service has world-renowned critical care facilities which includes access to around 5000 adult and 900 paediatric critical care ventilators, with further ventilators available outside of critical care facilities. We are currently in the process of purchasing many more ventilators at scale. We are likely to need 20,000 more under a reasonable worst cases scenario and the Prime Minister has issued a call to United Kingdom industry to produce additional ventilators.

Coronavirus: Pharmacy

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of covid-19 on levels of demand on pharmacies.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional funding and other resources he is making available to pharmacies to help tackle the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



We are working closely with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and NHS England and NHS Improvement to ensure that community pharmacies get the support they need to help their communities stay well and to treat those with minor illness.We are working to reprioritise the services commissioned by the National Health Service and offered by community pharmacy. Our aim is that the services most important in supporting patients at this time will continue and others will be suspended to increase capacity. We are also working with the General Pharmaceutical Council to increase the workforce available.We have provided all community pharmacies with personal protective equipment and are issuing regular guidance. Where additional services are commissioned from community pharmacy to support patients, we will work with the PSNC to ensure that community pharmacy is fairly recompensed as well as supporting those businesses that may have to temporarily close.

NHS 111: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the NHS 111 service response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



Around 500 additional call handlers have already been trained.The National Health Service has been clear that investment will increase if demand continues to rise advising that people should only call 111 if they cannot get help online. The new NHS 111 online service provides people with the right advice which frees up clinical call handlers time so that they are able to prioritise those experiencing symptoms.

Protective Clothing

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will issue guidance to workers that require face masks as part of their usual personal protective equipment on what steps to take in the event that suppliers of those masks are unable to restock.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



Guidance has been issued and is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/872745/Infection_prevention_and_control_guidance_for_pandemic_coronavirus.pdfWe have central stockpiles of personal protective equipment (PPE) and are also accessing the European Union Exit and pandemic influenza stockpiles which have been released for use. The Department is working with National Health Service and others in the supply chain to ensure these are delivered to the frontline as soon as possible.Staff experiencing shortages have been asked to contact a supply disruption helpline centre by email or on a helpline.The Department is working with wholesalers to ensure a longer-term supply of all aspects of personal protective equipment, including gloves, aprons, facemasks and hand sanitiser.

Pharmacy: Hygiene

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that pharmacies have adequate stocks of hand sanitiser to meet demand.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



The Department is working with wholesalers to ensure a longer-term supply of all aspects of personal protective equipment, including gloves, aprons, facemasks and hand sanitiser. For future personal protection equipment (PPE) requirements, health and social care providers should order PPE from their usual suppliers.

Coronavirus: Cystic Fibrosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that people with cystic fibrosis requiring urgent hospital admissions for their condition are (a) prioritised and (b) more quickly tested for covid-19 infections.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



Planning for the impact of COVID-19 on the National Health Service includes considerations of how to ensure that those who require urgent hospital admission, as a result of an existing health condition, are managed appropriately alongside the expected increased admissions of patients with COVID-19. All patients admitted to hospital with symptoms that suggest possible COVID-19 are now tested on admission.Minimising risk of infection is very important for those at particular risk of getting seriously ill if they contract COVID-19. Public Health England have released specific guidance for people considered at particularly high risk, including those with cystic fibrosis. NHS England and NHS Improvement wrote to all those in at risk groups, in the week commencing Monday 23 March 2020, with specific advice about what to do to minimise the risk of infection. A link to the guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

Coronavirus: Mental Health Services

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to relieve pressure on mental health services as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 24 March 2020



Mental health providers are looking at how they can maximise the use of digital and virtual channels to keep delivering support and manage the impact of self-isolation on staff and patients. For example, where it is not possible to carry out home visits (e.g. because a patient may be self-isolating due to symptoms of COVID-19), care contacts may need to take place on the phone or through video consultation.NHSX guidance has been published to support their use. As well as tools such as Skype, WhatsApp and Facetime, there are also products designed specifically for health and mental health.

Department for International Development

Gaza: Coronavirus

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect on the healthcare system in Gaza of the response to the spread of covid-19 in that region.

James Cleverly: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 25 March 2020.The correct answer should have been:

There are currently no two known cases of COVID-19 in Gaza. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has delivered essential equipment such as lab testing kits and personal protective equipment and has used DFID-funded Trauma Stabilisation Tents to quarantine suspected COVID-19 patients at the Rafah border crossing. UN agencies are supporting further measures such as the establishment of a field hospital and the creation of a medical checkpoint at the Erez border crossing.A widespread outbreak of the virus could overwhelm Gaza’s already overburdened health system - especially given the lack of reliable access to clean water and energy in the strip. We continue to monitor the situation and are working closely with the UN and the international community to ensure agencies are ready to respond to an outbreak.

James Cleverly: There are currently no two known cases of COVID-19 in Gaza. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has delivered essential equipment such as lab testing kits and personal protective equipment and has used DFID-funded Trauma Stabilisation Tents to quarantine suspected COVID-19 patients at the Rafah border crossing. UN agencies are supporting further measures such as the establishment of a field hospital and the creation of a medical checkpoint at the Erez border crossing.A widespread outbreak of the virus could overwhelm Gaza’s already overburdened health system - especially given the lack of reliable access to clean water and energy in the strip. We continue to monitor the situation and are working closely with the UN and the international community to ensure agencies are ready to respond to an outbreak.

Department for Education

Pre-school Education: Coronavirus

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support the Government plans to make available to nursery schools in England to manage the effects of covid-19.

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to provide financial support to private nurseries in the event that they are required to close during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: Childcare providers are making a vital contribution in our fight against Covid-19. The Department for Education has confirmed that it will not claw back funding from local authorities for any periods of closures where settings are closed on medical advice or if children are not able to attend due to Covid-19. The government expects local authorities to follow the department’s position, and continue early years entitlements funding for childminders, pre-schools and nurseries. This should also apply to those infant and primary schools that deliver the early years entitlements. This will minimise short-term disruptions to early years providers’ finances and allow the system to recover more quickly.My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has also announced a package of support for businesses that will include many early years and childcare providers. This includes business rates relief, a range of loans and grants and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme means that for employees who are not working but kept on payroll, the government will contribute 80% of each worker’s wages of up to £2,500, backdated to 1 March 2020. Providers can access this scheme while continuing to be paid the early entitlements funding via local authorities.The department continues to work alongside Public Health England and with early years sector representatives to ensure that measures taken are in the best interests of the health of our nation whilst minimising the impact on individual childcare settings.The latest guidance for schools and other educational settings can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

Schools: Coronavirus

Marco Longhi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking with the Department for Health and Social Care to prevent the spread of covid-19 amongst vulnerable students in schools.

Nick Gibb: COVID-19 is clearly an unprecedented situation and preventing its spread is the Government’s and Department’s highest priority. We are working closely with colleagues across Government to ensure that all appropriate arrangements, and support, are in place for all Department for Education sectors – from the early years and childcare to schools and children’s social care, and for vulnerable groups including children with long-term medical conditions. Schools should continue to support their pupils’ health needs and should follow Public Health England advice at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public.

Students: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued to (a) international and (b) British students on the covid-19 outbreak and the disruption that outbreak has caused to tuition.

Michelle Donelan: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



The department is acutely aware of the stress and anxiety the current climate will be causing all students – international and British alike. This is why we have been doing all we can to ensure students, both in the UK and overseas, have as much information as possible to help them make informed decisions at this challenging time.Health advice for both international and British students in the UK is the same; they should continue to monitor Public Health England guidance, and adhere to the latest social distancing guidance for recommendations on how to reduce social interaction between people in order to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.Many universities and other higher education providers are already taking necessary steps to keep their staff and students safe and, where possible, continue providing education. For many students, this now means avoiding face-to-face tuition and participating in online learning instead – we understand that the majority of universities have now moved learning online, with others following suit.If international students have specific questions about their visa status, the Home Office has established a dedicated Coronavirus Immigration helpline: 0800 678 1767.

Children: Coronavirus

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential adequacy of the support available to vulnerable children in the event that schools close as a result of covid-19.

Vicky Ford: Holding answer received on 23 March 2020



Supporting vulnerable children is a priority at this time. That is why, on Wednesday 18 March, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Education announced that schools will remain open for vulnerable children alongside the children of critical workers. Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with education, health and care plans. Guidance for schools, childcare providers, colleges and local authorities in England on maintaining provision for vulnerable children can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people.We recognise that local authorities and other safeguarding partners are under increased pressure during this period. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are considering all options to ensure that they are able to continue to keep children safe throughout this period. This includes HM Treasury creating an emergency response fund, initially set at £5 billion, to fund pressures in the NHS, support local authorities to manage pressures on social care and support vulnerable people, and help deal with pressures on other public services.Special and special residential schools and colleges should be supported to remain open, wherever that is possible, to provide vital services and support to children with complex needs and their families.

Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to make provisions for children who have a special educational need but have not yet received a formal diagnosis to continue attending school.

Vicky Ford: COVID-19 is clearly an unprecedented situation and the department’s highest priority. We are working closely with colleagues across government to ensure that all appropriate arrangements, and support, are in place for all of the department’s sectors – from early years and childcare to schools and children’s social care, and for vulnerable groups including children with special educational needs. We understand that parents will be worried about continued provision for their children with special educational needs when schools closed on Friday 20 March. Local authorities, schools and colleges, together with parents, should assess the risks to children and young people with Education, Health and Care plans (EHC plans) to judge whether they can be safely cared for at home or whether it is safer for them to remain at school or college. Local authorities and education settings have discretion to do a similar risk assessment for any individual children and young people who do not have an EHC plan but who have complex needs that could mean it is safer for them to be at school or college than at home. Guidance to help parents understand the changes, including information on vulnerable children can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers. The government has also published guidance for schools, childcare providers, colleges and local authorities in England on maintaining educational provision, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Aid Scheme: Civil Proceedings and Low Pay

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of legal aid available for (a) civil cases and (b) people on low incomes.

Alex Chalk: Legal aid statistics are published quarterly, and include assessments of recent and long-term trends. These can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2019 In February 2019 we published the Post-Implementation review of LASPO to review the effectiveness and accessibility of legal aid in England and Wales. Alongside the PIR, and to tackle the issues raised, we published a Legal Support Action Plan. This set out the government’s vision for the future and set out a number of changes to legal aid and legal support designed to improve the accessibility of legal aid and legal support, particularly for those on low incomes. These changes include a comprehensive review of the legal aid means tests, improvements to the exceptional case funding scheme, the removal of mandatory element of the Civil Legal Advice telephone gateway, and the launch of a campaign to raise awareness of legal support, including legal aid.

Prisoners: Coronavirus

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to isolate (a) convicted and (b) remand prisoners on the prison estate in the event that those prisoners have symptoms of covid-19.

Lucy Frazer: Prisons have existing, well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks of infectious diseases. These policies and procedures are being built upon in response to the specific risks posed by COVID-19 and we have put in place robust contingency plans, which are informed by Public Health authorities. HMPPS has introduced a procedure for the protective isolation of both convicted and remand prisoners when it is considered that they may be potentially infected with the virus, this has been communicated to all prison staff.

Administration of Justice: Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to protect jurors and other members of the justice system during the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Philp: HMCTS is following the public health guidance to minimize the risk of COVID-19 to court staff and users and has set out its priorities for managing the response: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-courts-and-tribunals-planning-and-preparationThis morning (23 March 2020), the Lord Chief Justice has announced a temporary pause on new jury trials in the Crown Court while measures are put in place to ensure that physical hearings can take place safely and in accordance with advice on social distancing.

Prisons: Coronavirus

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice on 18 March 2020, Official Report, column 335WH, whether the performance of different tasks in prisons during the covid-19 outbreak will be (a) fully risk-assessed before staff are asked to perform them and (b) voluntary.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Justice of 18 March 2020, Official Report, column 335, that some contingency planning may include the need to ask staff to work in a different place and potentially do different tasks, whether prison governors are authorised to ask staff not directly employed by Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service to perform tasks outside of their normal work area of responsibility.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Justice of 18 March 2020, Official Report, column 335, that some contingency planning may include the need to ask staff to work in a different place and potentially do different tasks, whether prison education staff will be expected to perform non-education tasks in prisons during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, of 18 March 2020, Official Report, column 335WH, what plans he has to cancel education provision in prisons during the covid-19 outbreak.

Lucy Frazer: In line with the latest Government advice, as of 24 March all non-essential activities in prisons involving groups of people should be stopped. This includes social visits, education, non-essential work, association, communal dining, periods of mass prisoner movement, religious services and access to the gymnasium.In order to boost staff availability part of contingency planning may include the need to ask staff directly employed by HMPPS to work in a different place and potentially do different tasks, this includes redeploying operationally trained staff currently working in headquarters back into prisons. We are working closely with Trade Union colleagues to ensure that there is a suitable framework that provides clear guidance in respect of what would be an appropriate range of tasks, this will be fully risk assessed before staff are asked to perform the tasks. The decisions on this will be made by Governors at establishments based on local needs.

Homicide: Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time served in prison was by (a) men and (b) women sentenced for attempted murder for those that were released from prison in each of the last five years.

Chris Philp: The tables attached give the mean and median average period spent in custody by males and females sentenced to imprisonment for attempted murder and released from prison in 2014 to 2018 inclusive.We have been clear that serious violent and sexual offenders must serve sentences that truly reflect the severity of the crime – helping to protect the public and giving victims confidence that justice has been served. We have therefore introduced legislation – the Release of Prisoners (Alteration of Relevant Proportion of Sentence) Order 2020 – which comes into force on 1 April 2020. From that date, anyone given a standard determinate sentence of 7 years or more for the most serious sexual or violent offences, including attempted murder, will be required to spend two-thirds – rather than half – of that sentence in prison. 



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 16.96 KB)

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of sentences handed down by (a) Magistrates' Courts and (b) Crown Courts were suspended prison sentences in each of the last 5 years.

Chris Philp: Information up to December 2018 on the number and proportion of suspended sentences imposed in England and Wales, broken down by court type, has been published in the ‘Sentencing data tool’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2018. To obtain the information requested, in the Pivot Table Fields:Remove ‘Offence Type’ from the rows field and replace with ‘Courts’.Drag the ‘Sentence Outcome’ variable into the rows field (beneath ‘Courts’). The number of suspended sentences imposed at a specified court in a specified year will then be shown in the table. The proportion for each court can be calculated by dividing the number of suspended sentences imposed at a specified court in a specified year by the total number of sentences imposed at such a specified court in a specified year.

Crimes of Violence

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) men and (b) women were found guilty after a trial in (i) Magistrates' Courts and (ii) Crown Courts for violence against the person offences in each of the last five years.

Chris Philp: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions in England and Wales, up to December 2018. This information, by sex, court and offence group, can be found in the Prosecutions and Convictions tool, available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802307/prosecutions-and-convictions-tool-2018.xlsx Filter ‘Convicted/ Not convicted’ to ’01: Convicted’.Drag the ‘Offence Group’ variable from the rows field to the filters field and filter to ’01: Violence against the person’.Drag the ‘Court type’ variable to the rows field.Drag the ‘Sex’ variable to the rows field (beneath ‘Court type’). Proportions of males and females found guilty can be calculated by dividing the number of male or female offenders by the total (excluding those where sex is not known and companies, public bodies, etc).

Offenders: Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of offenders in each police force area were convicted and sentenced to immediate custody that had previously committed (a) zero, (b) between one and four, (c) between five and nine, (d) between 10 and 15, (e) between 16 and 25, (f) between 26 and 50, (g) between 51 and 75, (h) between 76 and 100, (i) between 101 and 150, (j) between 151 and 200 and (k) 200 offences in each year since 2010.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders that had (a) zero, (b) between one and 4, (c) between five and nine, (d) between 10 and 15, (e) between 16 and 25, (f) between 26 and 50, (g) between 51 and 75, (h) between 76 and 100, (i) between 101 and 150, (j) between 151 and 200 and (k) 200 or more previous offences on their record at the time of sentencing were given an immediate custodial sentence for their latest offence.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of life sentences given to an offender during their offending history is in each of the 30 years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the (a) average and (b) highest number of previous offences for dangerous driving a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in (i) England and Wales and (ii) West Yorkshire in each of the last five years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the highest number of previous dangerous driving offences held by a person who was not given a sentence of immediate custody upon a further dangerous driving offence in (a) England and Wales and (b) West Yorkshire in each of the last five years; and what was the sentence for the most recent conviction for that offence in each case.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2020 to Question 505, Suspended Sentences, on what dates each of the suspended sentences were given for each offender; what offences were committed on each occasion; and what was the (a) custodial period and (b) period of suspension for each of those sentences.

Chris Philp: Obtaining the necessary information to answer these questions involves accessing the secure Police National Computer (PNC) system, which my relevant officials are unable to do at this time in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. I will write to the Hon Member in due course with the information requested, once my officials are able to safely access the PNC system, and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Trade Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans she has to enable UK trades unions to (a) have sight of and (b) comment on the text of negotiations on a trade agreement with the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Conor Burns: This Government is committed to seeking views from the widest range of stakeholder groups to create an inclusive and transparent trade policy that works all parts of the UK. We must balance the need for transparency with ensuring that the United Kingdom’s economic interests are protected in what are, after all, sensitive negotiations.  We have established engagement mechanisms to ensure a broad range of stakeholders have the opportunity to inform the UK’s trade policy. This includes the Strategic Trade Advisory Group and network of Expert Trade Advisory Groups that bring together a wide variety of stakeholders, from businesses to civil society organisations, to help inform our trade policy. Any further opportunities for engagement during negotiations will be set out in due course.

Department for Work and Pensions

Statutory Sick Pay: Coronavirus

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending statutory sick pay to people who are not self-isolating due to covid-19 but their place of employment has no work as a result of that infection.

Justin Tomlinson: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Statutory Sick Pay

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will help companies by extending statutory sick pay to gardening leave so employees stay with the companies they work in.

Justin Tomlinson: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Delivery Services

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people that are (a) elderly, (b) vulnerable and (c) required to self-isolate receive food deliveries.

Victoria Prentis: We are working closely across Government, with representatives of the food supply chain and with local authorities and charities to ensure that people who need to stay at home will have continued access to food.To help supermarkets, the Government has already introduced new measures to keep food supply flowing. We have temporarily relaxed elements of competition law to enable supermarkets to work more closely together to ensure people can access the products they need. Food retailers will now be able to share data on their stock levels, cooperate to keep stores open and share staff, distribution depots and delivery vehicles. This will help keep shops open and staffed and better able to meet high demand. Guidance has been issued to local authorities to show flexibility to allow extended delivery hours to supermarkets to ensure shelves can be replenished more quickly. The Transport Secretary has also announced a temporary and limited relaxation of the drivers’ hours rules so that more goods can be delivered to every store every day. We welcome the actions that industry is taking, including hiring more staff, including prioritising delivery slots for those that need them most. The Government is working to ensure that up to 1.5 million people in England identified by the NHS as being at higher risk of severe illness if they contract Coronavirus will have access to the food they need. A new Local Support System will make sure those individuals self-isolating at home and who are without a support network of friends and family will receive basic groceries. The Government is working with a partnership of the groceries industry, local government, local resilience forums and emergency partners, and voluntary groups, to ensure that essential items can start to be delivered as soon as possible to those who need it.

Supermarkets: Opening Hours

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with major supermarkets on covid-19 and on specific opening hours for (a) over 70s, (b) parents of children with severe asthma, (c) cystic fibrosis and (d) other vulnerable groups.

Victoria Prentis: We are working closely across Government, with representatives of the food supply chain and with local authorities and charities to ensure that everyone including the elderly and vulnerable groups such as those with severe health conditions will have continued access to food. We are in close contact with representatives across the food supply chain and civil society to discuss further ways to help with their preparations. Supermarkets are recruiting more staff, prioritising delivery slots for those who need them most, and limiting shopping hours so they have more time to restock. They are working hard to deliver a crucial service to us all and have also issued a rallying call for everyone to play their part in the national effort to this response by looking out for their friends, family and neighbours. We will continue to work with industry to discuss any additional support the Government can provide. Retailers are prioritising delivery slots for those who need them most. The Government is working to ensure that up to 1.5 million people in England identified by the NHS as being at higher risk of severe illness if they contract Coronavirus will have access to the food they need. A new Local Support System will make sure those individuals self-isolating at home and who are without a support network of friends and family will receive basic groceries. The Government is working with a partnership of the groceries industry, local government, local resilience forums and emergency partners, and voluntary groups, to ensure that essential items can start to be delivered as soon as possible to those who need it.

Supermarkets: Coronavirus

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with supermarket representatives on dedicated shopping times for pensioners during the covid-19 outbreak.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the decision of supermarkets to offer dedicated shopping times for pensioners during the coivid-19 outbreak.

Victoria Prentis: We are working closely across Government, with representatives of the food supply chain and with local authorities and charities to ensure that everyone will have continued access to food. To help industry respond to this unprecedented demand we have introduced new measures to keep the food supply flowing. We have issued guidance to local authorities to allow extended delivery hours to supermarkets so that shelves can be filled up more quickly, and we have implemented extensions to drivers’ hours. We are also temporarily relaxing certain elements of competition law to ensure retailers are able to collaborate effectively in the national interest, for example by sharing distribution depots and delivery vans. Supermarkets are recruiting more staff and limiting shopping hours so they have more time to restock. Some supermarkets are also prioritising delivery slots for those that need them most, including the elderly. They are working hard to deliver a crucial service to us all and have also issued a rallying call for everyone to play their part in the national effort to this response by looking out for their friends, family and neighbours. We will continue to work with industry to discuss any additional support government can provide. The Government is working to ensure that up to 1.5 million people in England identified by the NHS as being at higher risk of severe illness if they contract Coronavirus will have access to the food they need. A new Local Support System will make sure those individuals self-isolating at home and who are without a support network of friends and family will receive basic food and essential supplies. The Government is working with a partnership of the food industry, local government, local resilience forums and emergency partners, and voluntary groups, to ensure that essential items can start to be delivered as soon as possible to those who need it.

Seafood: USA

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that data obtained in respect of marine mammal bycatch monitoring meets the requirements of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act Import Provision Rule.

Victoria Prentis: We have a long-term UK bycatch monitoring programme that uses dedicated observers to focus monitoring efforts on fisheries that pose a high risk of cetacean bycatch. The data from this programme have been used to complete our response to the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to fulfil requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). We continue to engage with the United States to discuss the details of the UK’s approach to cetacean bycatch monitoring and management and to ensure that we meet the requirements of the MMPA Import Provision Rule.

Supermarkets: Coronavirus

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with supermarket retailers on providing delivery services to people without access to online shopping during the covid-19 outbreak.

Victoria Prentis: The Government has well-established ways of working with the food industry during disruption to supply situations. Our retailers already have highly resilient supply chains and they are working around the clock to ensure people have the food and products they need. To help industry respond to this unprecedented demand we have introduced new measures to keep food supply flowing. We have issued guidance to local authorities to allow extended delivery hours to supermarkets so that shelves can be filled up more quickly, and we have implemented extensions to drivers’ hours. We are also temporarily relaxing certain elements of competition law to ensure retailers are able to collaborate effectively in the national interest, for example by sharing distribution depots and delivery vans. We are in close contact with representatives across the food supply chain and civil society to discuss further ways to help with their preparations, in particular to look at supporting those who have to stay at home, including people without access to online shopping. Supermarkets are recruiting more staff and limiting shopping hours so they have more time to restock. They are working hard to deliver a crucial service for us all and have also issued a rallying call for everyone to play their part in the national effort to this response by looking out for their friends, family and neighbours. The Government is working to ensure that up to 1.5 million people in England identified by the NHS as being at higher risk of severe illness if they contract Coronavirus will have access to the food they need. A new Local Support System will make sure those individuals self-isolating at home and who are without a support network of friends and family will receive basic groceries. The Government is working with a partnership of the groceries industry, local Government, local resilience forums and emergency partners, and voluntary groups, to ensure that essential items can start to be delivered as soon as possible to those who need it.

Supermarkets: Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure carers are able to get the food that they need in supermarkets.

Victoria Prentis: The Government has well-established ways of working with the food industry during disruption to supply situations. Our retailers already have highly resilient supply chains and they are working around the clock to ensure people have the food and products they need. Industry has adapted quickly to these changes in demands, and we welcome the actions they are taking to support groups including NHS staff and the elderly. To help supermarkets, the Government has already introduced new measures to keep food supply flowing. We have temporarily relaxed elements of competition law to enable supermarkets to work more closely together to ensure people can access the products they need. Food retailers will now be able to share data on their stock levels, cooperate to keep stores open and share staff, distribution depots and delivery vehicles. This will help keep shops open and staffed and better able to meet high demand. Guidance has been issued to local authorities to show flexibility to allow extended delivery hours to supermarkets to ensure shelves can be replenished more quickly. The Transport Secretary has also announced a temporary and limited relaxation of the drivers’ hours rules so that more goods can be delivered to every store every day.

Supermarkets: Coronavirus

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with supermarkets on providing adequate home delivery shopping slots for people who are (a) self isolating or (b) have covid-19.

Victoria Prentis: We are working closely across Government, with representatives of the food supply chain and with local authorities and charities to ensure that the elderly, vulnerable groups, and people who need to stay at home will have continued access to food. To help industry respond to this unprecedented demand we have introduced new measures to support food deliveries. We have issued guidance to local authorities to allow extended delivery hours to supermarkets so that shelves can be filled up more quickly, and we have implemented extensions to drivers’ hours. We are also temporarily relaxing certain elements of competition law to ensure retailers are able to collaborate effectively in the national interest, for example by sharing distribution depots and delivery vans. We welcome the actions that industry is taking, including hiring more staff, including prioritising delivery slots for those that need them most. The Government is working to ensure that up to 1.5 million people in England identified by the NHS as being at higher risk of severe illness if they contract Coronavirus will have access to the food they need. A new Local Support System will make sure those individuals self-isolating at home and who are without a support network of friends and family will receive basic food and essential supplies. The Government is working with a partnership of the food industry, local government, local resilience forums and emergency partners, and voluntary groups, to ensure that essential items can start to be delivered as soon as possible to those who need it.

Livestock: Animal Housing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to restrict the use of cages in farming.

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to support the use of free farrowing systems in pig farming.

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to place restrictions on the use of enriched cages in farming.

Victoria Prentis: The Government cares very much about the welfare of animals and is examining the evidence around the use of cages for farm animals and considering the options. We have been clear it is our ambition that farrowing crates should no longer be used for sows. Indeed, the new pig welfare code clearly states that “the aim is for farrowing crates to no longer be necessary and for any new system to protect the welfare of the sow, as well as her piglets”. I am pleased to confirm the UK is already ahead of most pig producing countries in terms of non-confinement farrowing, with around 40% of our pigs housed outside and not farrowed with crates. The Government is examining the future use of cages for all laying hens and I welcome the commitment from our major retailers, with positive support from our egg producers, to stop retailing eggs from enriched colony cage production systems by 2025. I am pleased to state that the UK already has a much larger free range sector by far than any EU country, with over 50% of our hens kept in free range systems.

Home Office

Immigration Controls: Languages

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the UK's points-based immigration system policy statement, published 19 February 2020, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including a foreign language competency as a tradeable characteristic.

Kevin Foster: The new points-based system will be introduced from 1 January 2021.The operation of the system will be kept under review and, as the policy statement published on 19 February makes clear, the Home Office will continue to refine it in light of experience and will consider adding further flexibility into the system including additional attributes which can be ‘traded’ against a lower salary.

Visas: Commonwealth

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of removing visa charges for Commonwealth UK armed forces personnel and their immediate families applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain after completing their service.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office is listening carefully to those with concerns about how members of HM Forces can have the support of their families whilst serving our country.We are continuing to assess the impact of immigration fees on members of the HM Forces in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence.

Asylum: Coronavirus

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with respect to asylum seekers who cannot attend a meeting due to self-isolation as a result of covid-19.

Chris Philp: At present Asylum Operations are looking to maintain services wherever possible and have put in place the appropriate measures to safeguard people against the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.Appointments may be affected, but we will continue to review the service impacts on a daily basis. As the national situation develops, Asylum Operations will take the measures necessary to support appointments, interviewing and decision making including the use of technology, whilst always protecting the needs of the most vulnerable.

Treasury

Personal Income: Coronavirus

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a Government funded universal basic income as an emergency measure to protect incomes and livelihoods during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mike Hill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a universal basic income during the covid-19 crisis.

Jesse Norman: The Government is doing whatever it can to ensure that individuals, families and businesses are supported during the Covid-19 outbreak. The Government is focusing on measures that can be implemented as quickly as possible. The Government also believes that using existing frameworks for those who need additional support is the quickest and most effective way to do so during the Covid-19 outbreak. The Government announced at Budget and in recent days, a wide-ranging package of measures to support individuals, families and employees affected by Covid-19. These include: making Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) available for individuals diagnosed with Covid-19 or those unable to work because they are self-isolating in line with government guidance. This is in addition to the change announced by the Prime Minister that SSP will be payable from day one instead of day four for affected individuals.announcing a 3-month “mortgage holiday” for borrowers that are struggling financially with their repayments. This will allow affected borrowers to defer their repayments for up to three months while they get back on their feet.introducing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms continue to keep people in employment. Businesses can put workers on temporary leave and the Government will pay them cash grants to cover 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500 per month, providing they keep the worker employed.ensuring that those who are not eligible for SSP can now more easily make a claim for Universal Credit or Contributory Employment and Support Allowance.increasing the standard allowance in Universal Credit and the basic element of Working Tax Credit by up to £20 per week.a further temporary relaxation of earnings rules for self-employed Universal Credit claimants.increasing the Local Housing Allowance for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants to the 30th percentile of market rents.

Markets: Non-domestic Rates

Mick Whitley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to allow public markets run by local authorities to apply for business rate relief in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: Guidance for local authorities on the application of this business rates holiday was published on 18 March and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-retail-discount-guidance. The Government has announced £1.6bn of additional funding to support local authorities in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. This funding is intended to help local authorities address the pressures that they are facing across services.

Public Sector: Off-payroll Working

Kate Griffiths: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing IR35 rules for public sector workers.

Jesse Norman: In April 2017, the Government changed the off-payroll working rules for those working in the public sector, shifting responsibility for determining employment status from the worker’s own limited company to the organisation they work for. These existing rules continue to apply. On 17 March 2020, the Government announced that the reform to the off-payroll working rules that would have applied for people contracting their services to large or medium-sized organisations outside the public sector, as well as engagers in the public sector, will be delayed for one year from 6 April 2020 until 6 April 2021. This is part of the additional support for businesses and individuals to deal with the economic impacts of COVID-19. Public authorities will not need to implement the changes on status determination statements or implement status disagreement processes until April 2021. Independent research by IFF Research and Frontier Economics showed the reform to the off-payroll working rules in the public sector had not resulted in significant disruption to the sector, or to its use of contingent labour. During the recent review into the implementation of the reform, public sector bodies reported that they continued to engage people with specialist skills and had adapted their business models to comply with the reform. The Government will continue to listen to stakeholders and monitor and evaluate the operation of the rules.

Garages and Petrol Stations: Government Assistance

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to provide assistance with (a) business rates, (b) VAT relief and (c) PAYE relief to independent motoring garages that (i) must temporarily close and (ii) have fewer customers as a result of self-isolation following the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: The Government has announced an unprecedented package of support for businesses and individuals affected by Covid-19, and remains committed to doing whatever it takes to support the economy as necessary. At the Budget it announced that businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a rateable value of less than £51,000 would pay no business rates this year. On 17 March the Government went further, and extended the business rates holiday so that all eligible businesses in retail, hospitality or leisure will pay no business rates for 12 months, irrespective of rateable value. Those eligible businesses will also have access to additional cash grants of up to £25,000. The smallest businesses, those eligible for Small Business Rate Relief, will receive a cash grant of £10,000. Since then, the Government has announced that UK VAT registered businesses can defer VAT payments due with their VAT returns between now and the end of June. No UK VAT registered business will have to make a VAT payment alongside their VAT return to HMRC in that period. These businesses will have until the end of the financial year to repay. Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, employers can put workers on temporary leave and the Government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500 per month, providing they keep the worker employed. They will receive the grant from HMRC, and the scheme will be backdated to 1 March 2020. For Income Tax Self-Assessment, payments due on 31 July 2020 will be deferred until 31 January 2021. HMRC have also scaled up their Time to Pay service by setting up a new Covid-19 Helpline with more staff to support it. Time to Pay is available to all taxpayers in temporary financial distress and with outstanding tax liabilities. Taxpayers can contact the dedicated Covid-19 helpline to get practical help and advice on 0800 0159 559. The Chancellor will continue to review and make further announcements as events unfold if required.

Carers: Coronavirus

Robert Largan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support carers affected by covid-19.

Jesse Norman: Carers who are directly affected by Covid-19 may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, which is now available to those in self-isolation and those caring for those in self-isolation. This also applies to unpaid carers, such as family members living in the same household as someone affected by Covid-19. Employees who earn over £118 per week from a single employer will be eligible for £94.25 per week, rising to £95.85 from 6 April. As announced at Budget, Statutory Sick Pay is now payable from day one of an absence rather than day four. Anybody who is advised to self-isolate and therefore cannot work will be eligible for Contributory Employment and Support Allowance. This is now payable from the first day of sickness, rather than the eighth. Eligible claimants under 25 will be entitled to £57.90 per week, and over 25s £73.10 per week. This includes carers who have been advised to self-isolate because the person they care for is sick or self-isolating. A person can get ESA for as long as they are incapable of work, up to a year. For unpaid carers who do not live in the same household, employers may provide assistance such as special leave. Some carers may also be eligible for benefits such as Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit. Full eligibility criteria can be found on GOV.UK. The Government has announced that £1.6bn will be provided to local authorities to help them respond to coronavirus pressures across the services they deliver. This is not ringfenced and is intended to help councils address specific pressures that they face. It could be used to help providers deal with costs due to self-isolation and family caring responsibilities.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Emma Hardy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial support from the public purse is available for care providers employing over 250 employees to help those employers cover the cost of statutory sick pay as a result of the covid-19 outbreak for the next six months.

Jesse Norman: At Budget, the Government announced a package of measures to support businesses more widely, including increasing the amount businesses can borrow through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme from £1.2m to £5m, and ensuring businesses can access the first 12 months of that finance interest free, as Government will cover the first 12 months of interest payments out of public funds. For more information on the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, please go to: www.British-business-bank.co.uk/CBILS. The Coronavirus Act includes new legal powers enabling the Government to offer further financial support considered necessary to businesses. All businesses facing short-term cash flow difficulties, of whatever size, are encouraged to engage with their existing finance providers in the first instance to see what assistance they might be able to provide.

Business: Coronavirus

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to support businesses that may be unable to afford rental payments on properties as a result of loss of income during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: The Government has already moved to support residential renters by ensuring landlords are unable to start eviction proceedings for at least a three-month period; this now applies to businesses renting commercial properties. The Government is also providing £20 billion of business rates support and grant funding to help the most affected firms manage their cashflow through this period, including: giving retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England a 100% business rates holiday for the next 12 months; providing grants of £10,000 to small businesses eligible for Small Business Rate Relief, and; providing further £25,000 grants to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses operating from premises with a rateable value over £15,000 and below £51,000. SMEs will also be able to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to £5 million through the British Business Bank, backed by an 80% government guarantee. For larger firms, there is a new lending facility from the Bank of England to help support liquidity, helping them bridge coronavirus disruption to their cash flows through loans. Finally, the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme is in place for all businesses and self-employed people in financial distress to provide support with their tax affairs.

Beer: Non-domestic Rates

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the business rate relief scheme extends to breweries.

Jesse Norman: MHCLG has published guidance for local authorities on eligibility for the business rates Expanded Retail Discount, which can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-retail-discount-guidance It is for the relevant local authority to make decisions on eligibility based on the guidance and their knowledge of the local area.

Off-payroll Working

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of deferring Loan Charge legislation in line with the decision announced on 17 March 2020 to defer the implementation of IR35 reforms.

Jesse Norman: Those affected by the Loan Charge who were required to submit a Self-Assessment return for 2018-19 can defer sending their return until 30 September 2020, without having to pay late filing or late payment penalties, or interest for the period.   HMRC will keep this situation under review over the coming months and will take a proportionate and reasonable approach to anyone who is unable to submit their return as a result of COVID-19.

Day Care: Coronavirus

Claire Hanna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial support he is making available to private childcare providers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: The UK is well prepared to tackle COVID-19. The Government has set out specific measures to support childcare providers:funding for the Government’s early years entitlements will continue during any periods of nursery, preschool or childminder closures, or where children cannot attend due to COVID-19to support nurseries at this time, the Chancellor has also decided that they will be eligible for a business rates holiday for one year from 1 April.Childcare providers will also benefit from the wider measures the Chancellor has announced to support the people and businesses of the UK:a three-point plan announced at Budget providing £12 billion of support for public services, individuals and businesses whose finances are affected by the outbreaka package to provide additional support for businesses and individuals totalling £350bna temporary but uncapped package to help firms keep people in employment.The response to COVID-19 needs to be UK-wide and the Government has so far provided £5.3 billion of funding to the devolved administrations to support people, businesses and public services in response to Covid-19. This is in addition to the UK-wide measures that the people and businesses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from.

Public Houses: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to require (a) private and (b) Pub Co landlords to grant a three month business rents holiday to pubs that are in financial difficulties as a result of the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Government has already moved to support residential renters by ensuring landlords are unable to start eviction proceedings for at least a three-month period; this now applies to businesses renting commercial properties. The Government is also temporarily increasing the Business Rates retail discount in England to 100% for 2020-21 for all properties in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, including pubs, in response to Covid-19. Finally, the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme is in place for all businesses and self-employed people in financial distress to provide support with their tax affairs.

Excise Duties: Coronavirus

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the feasibility of cancelling (a) beer duty  and (b) VAT payments that are to be paid due at the end of March 2020 for (i) pubs, (ii) restaurants and (iii) other businesses in the hospitality industry.

Jesse Norman: The Chancellor has announced an unprecedented package of support for pubs, restaurants and hospitality businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Firms eligible for small business rate relief or rural rate relief will be eligible for cash grants of up to £10,000, and firms in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with eligible properties with a rateable value below £51,000 will be eligible for cash grants of up to £25,000.A business rates holiday has been put in place for all eligible businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors. In addition, all VAT registered businesses will be able to defer their VAT payments due on VAT returns for the period until the end of June, to be repaid by the end of the financial year, and access support worth up to 80% of their employees’ wages.

Bank Services: Coronavirus

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with representatives of retail banks on not increasing interest levels on overdrafts during the covid-19 outbreak; and if her will make a statement.

John Glen: The Treasury is working closely with industry and the financial regulators to ensure the steps they take are properly coordinated with Government’s wider economic response to COVID-19. Banks and building societies are ready and able to offer support to their customers who are impacted directly or indirectly by COVID-19. The Government encourages anyone concerned about their overdraft to contact their provider. Last June, the FCA announced reforms to the overdraft market, including mandating that firms cannot charge more for unarranged overdrafts than arranged overdrafts, banning fixed daily and monthly charges, and a package of measures to improve the transparency of pricing. Overall the FCA expects these changes to make overdrafts simpler, fairer, and easier to manage and will protect the millions of consumers that use overdrafts, particularly more vulnerable consumers. All providers have set their new charging structures ahead of the deadline in April. The overdraft reforms will end high unarranged charges and the removal of fees means many occasional arranged borrowers will pay less even though their headline rate of borrowing may increase. Across the market, FCA analysis in January found that 7 out of 10 overdraft users will be better off or see no change when the new rules come into force in April. In instances where consumers see an increased cost for their overdraft borrowing, the FCA expects firms to engage with customers with large overdraft balances and repeat users of overdrafts to make appropriate interventions. This includes customers who are impacted by COVID-19.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Internet: Safety

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how the Government plans to tackle online harms committed by publishers of news media and information websites.

Caroline Dinenage: The government is committed to a free and independent press. This is vital to a strong and fully functioning democracy where the powerful can be held to account without fear. For this reason, the government does not intervene in what the press can and cannot publish, including on their websites. The Online Harms White Paper does not seek to prohibit press freedom. The regulator will not be responsible for policing truth and accuracy online. Where services are already well regulated, regulation will not be duplicated.Officials are currently working with stakeholders to ensure online harms proposals protect journalistic content. Further details will be published in the full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper.

Coastal Areas and Tourism: Coronavirus

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of covid-19 on (a) the UK tourism industry and (b) coastal communities; and if he will make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston: We are aware that the COVID-19 outbreak is significantly impacting the tourism industry and connected communities, including those in coastal regions.My Department regularly engages with stakeholders in the tourism and events sector and across Government on this developing issue. We will continue to monitor its impact on the sector and would urge businesses from all parts of the country to share information with VisitBritain via their Tourism Industry Emergency Response group.The Chancellor has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. This includes a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, tax relief and cash grant measures, plus £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK.

Coronavirus: Compensation

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that event organisers that have been required to cancel their event due to the covid-19 outbreak will receive compensation.

Nigel Huddleston: Government recognises that multiple aspects of the events sector are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, including event organisers, conference centres and event suppliers.We are taking a number of steps to make sure that the events sector is financially supported through the coronavirus crisis. My Department regularly engages with stakeholders in the sector and across Government on this developing issue. We will continue to monitor its impact on the sector and would urge events businesses to share information with VisitBritain via their Tourism Industry Emergency Response group.The Chancellor has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. This includes a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, tax relief and cash grant measures, plus £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK. I am also writing to the Chancellor to provide clarity guidance for the events sector on business rate relief.

Entertainments

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support he is providing to businesses in the events sector which are threatened with bankruptcy as a result of the response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston: We are aware that the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting businesses across many sectors and that the events industry has been significantly impacted. I recognise that multiple aspects of the sector are affected, including event organisers, conference centres and event suppliers.I regularly engage with stakeholders in the tourism and events sector and across Government on this developing issue. I will continue to monitor its impact on the sector and would urge events businesses to share information with VisitBritain via their Tourism Industry Emergency Response group.The Chancellor has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. This includes a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, tax relief and cash grant measures, plus £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK. I am also writing to the Chancellor to provide clarity guidance for the events sector on business rate relief.

Licensed Premises: Coronavirus

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department plans to take to support organisers of (a) small music venues, (b) festivals and (c) other live music events (i) directly and (ii) indirectly effected by the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage: The Chancellor announced additional measures worth £330 billion to support businesses. Measures include increasing the amount available to borrow through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme from £1.2 million to £5 million and ensuring businesses can access the first 12 months of that finance interest free. Measures that will have a direct impact on music venues and festivals include a 100% business rates holiday for 12 months, increasing grants to businesses eligible for Small Business Rate Relief from £3,000 to £10,000 and providing a further £25,000 grants to those with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000.The Chancellor also confirmed that the advice for people to avoid the likes of pubs and venues will be sufficient for businesses to claim on their insurance where they have appropriate business interruption cover for pandemics in place.

Creative Europe

Mhairi Black: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has for domestic alternatives to the Creative Europe Programme after the transition period.

Caroline Dinenage: The government has made the decision not to seek participation in Creative Europe in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. Domestic alternatives will be a consideration for the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

Culture: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to support the cultural sector during the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage: Last week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced additional measures to support businesses and organisations that have been impacted by the pandemic. Details of which can be found below.Government has been working round the clock to do whatever it takes to protect our people and businesses. That means that we are not only taking unprecedented action, but doing so at unprecedented speed, because we know that businesses and their employees need help now.During the response to this outbreak, the Secretary of State and Minister for Digital and Culture have led a number of calls with representatives of the creative and cultural sectors, amongst other DCMS sectors, to understand the challenges that they are facing. There are plans for ongoing, regular contact with members and representatives of the cultural sector.Officials are also continuing to engage with organisations regularly in order to best understand how Government can support the cultural and creative sectors and to discuss the practicalities and implications of policy measures. The Government has announced a number of measures to support the cultural sector as they handle the significant implications of the Covid-19 virus. In particular:The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has already announced a host of measures to help businesses in this period with £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.£20bn of direct fiscal support for businesses in England through tax relief and cash grants to help business manage cash flow.A Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme where small and large employers will be eligible to apply for a government grant of 80% of workers’ salaries up to £2,500 a month. The scheme will be backdated to March 1 and available for at least three months, with first grants to be paid within weeks.Deferral of the next quarter of VAT payments for firms, until the end of June - representing a £30bn injection for employers.A package of temporary welfare measures, which when taken together with those announced at Budget provide over £6.5bn of additional support through the welfare system for people affected by COVID-19.This comes on top of compensation for statutory sick pay that the Chancellor announced in the Budget.Arts Council England have announced a £160m emergency response package, supported by Government funding, to complement the financial measures already announced by Government. It will help individuals and organisations focus on two things: sustaining their livelihoods and businesses, and where possible, developing creative responses to the Covid-19 crisis (e.g. participatory digital content for people self-isolating) to help buoy the public for its duration.Alongside this injection of additional cash, at least until 30 June this year National Portfolio Organisations, Music Education Hubs and Creative People and Places programmes will continue to receive funding, with funding conditions relaxed as needed. Where possible, ACE will also advance grant payments to assist with cashflow, to relieve immediate financial pressure for those in need.

Internet: Safety

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of closing schools on levels of online harms to vulnerable and isolated children during the covid-19 outbreak.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to tackle the effect of school closures on the level of online harms for vulnerable and isolated children during the covid-19 outbreak.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has had discussions with charities on the effect of school closures on the level of online harms for vulnerable and isolated children during the covid-19 outbreak.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the effect of school closures on the level of online harms for vulnerable and isolated children and young people during the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage: The measures required to tackle Covid-19 mean it is likely that more people will be going online in the weeks ahead, including school age children and vulnerable users. This may place some people at greater risk of experiencing harm online. The government is committed to making the UK the safest place to be online. We are working with other government departments, technology companies, civil society and academia during this period to support users to understand and manage the risks and benefits of being online during this period.